Socks and a mini Hotshot

Woohoo, I have two FOs to share with you today. The Purl Ridge Socks are done and the teddy bear mini Hotshots for my boy's stockings. I'm sure the boys will be excited to have matching sweaters for their teddies.

Just keep knitting...

You know that point in a large project when you realize exactly how huge of a project it is? Well, I've hit that point. Twice in one week.

First on this laceweight shawl, Clarus. My original goal was to knit the large size in laceweight, but since I'm on the first repeat of row 53 now, I'm not sure if my patience is going to hold out for that.

Then there's my first knit blanket project.... This is the Hue Shift Afgahan from Knit Picks, and I am really loving how the colors are coming together now that there are a few more squares on the blanket. My original goal was to finish 1-2 squares daily on this, but I think I am really averaging about 4 a week... Oh well, that will still get it finished in less than a year...

In the meantime I've cast on for these socks (no I'm not procrastinating, the yarn was calling to me!)
and have finished up this little beaded necklace.

I still need to finish the last few rows of a teddy bear sweater for my younger son's stocking. Hopefully I get around to that before the 24th.

Purl Ridge Mittens

Thanks to everyone who submitted name ideas for the fingerless gloves, the winner is Emily with "Purl Ridge Fingerless Mittens" The pattern is now available on Ravelry.

Holiday knitting!

Are you ready? Christmas will be here in two weeks!

I just got a little holiday knitting finished over the weekend, a Magnolia Crescent Shawl (not going to say for who just in case she's reading this later) and this lovely beaded bracelet/necklace (Ribband by Laura Nelkin). Both were pretty quick knits, about 12 or so hours for the shawl, and about 3 for Ribband, so they've great for gift giving (but I think I'm a little too attached to the sparkly beads to actually give that one away)

December Craft-a-long

Just in time for your holiday fiber crafting, join our December Craft-a-long, all fiber related crafts are welcome!

What to do:

• Finish a project in December using any LMSnS yarn, fiber, or pattern,
• create a Ravelry project (or yarn listing for handspun) with photos,
• and post a picture to the entry thread in the LMSnS Ravelry group. (Entry thread will be posted to the group on Dec 1st)

You project does not have to be started in December (WIPS count!).
Fine print: Project should contain at least 2 oz of LMSnS yarn or fiber (you may add yarn or fiber from other sources as long as at least 2 oz of what is used is from LMSnS), or be made from a LMSnS pattern (one entry per person per pattern please)
Prizes!
At the end of the craft-a-long at least two prizes will be awarded (based on participation, I may add more prizes to the list as we go…)

1. $20 gift card for LMSnS.
2. Choice of any one LMSnS pattern from Ravelry.

Lots of new project bags and stitchmarkers instock today!

Fingerless Mittens for the whole family, and a pattern giveaway!

I've been playing with a new design, so I knit four pairs of fingerless mitts last week. It's really interesting how the exact same yarn can look so different when it's knit up into different sizes. But now the problem is, I'm a little bit stuck on the name... So, post your name ideas in the comment section below. I'll pick a name for the pattern on (or near) December 15th, and whoever's name idea I use will recieve their choice of one of my PDF patterns.

 

So much yarn, not enough time...

Have you seen the Color Affection shawl? Well it seems I got bit by the bug as well, and after a little over a week of constant knitting...

... here is my version, knit with Merino/Nylon sock from Mosic Moon, in the colorway "The End of Time", from her Dr. Who inspired yarn colors, with two coordinating trim colors.

I still need to convince my DH to take some modeling pics, but this thing is huge, and since it's so much wider than the usual shawl shape, it can be a bit tricky to find a comfortable way to wear it.

Now don't let the garter stitch fool you into thinking this is a easy project, it's nearly 3 skeins worth of sock yarn involved, not to mention figuring out how to manage 3 different balls of yarn simultaneously (because you don't want to weave in that many ends if you don't have too). Oh, and there's also the challenge of keeping that top edge nice and loose while carrying those extra strands of yarn up the side.

 

 

Now, what should I knit next....

Introducing....

...four new yarns to the Little Monkey's Stitch n Spin lineup!

Superwash Worsted

100 % superwash merino

218 yds per 3.5 oz skein



 



Simply Singles DK

100% superwash merino

257yds per 3.5 oz skein

 

 

Lux DK

75% superwash merino
20% silk
5% stellina

231 yds per 3.5 oz skein

















Anteaus Sock
80% superwash merino
20% nylon
400 yds per 3.5 oz skein


Look for these skeins and more in stock soon!

Kid n Ewe 2012

So what did you think of Kid n Ewe? I had a blast, it was great to meet all the customers that stopped by, and to get to chat with the other vendors.  Considering this was my first time as a vendor at a fiber festival it went pretty well, I am excited for the next one!

I'm glad it all fit in my car!

Dyeing for Kid n Ewe!

The dyepots have been in overdrive getting ready for the Kid n Ewe Fiber Festival. I have quite a bit planned, including a couple new yarn bases that will be available for the first time at the show, and of course there will be gradient yarns, self striping yarns, project bags, and stitchmarkers. I will also be teaching a class on drum carding if you want to learn how to make batts. Find more info about classes available at Kid n Ewe, or to register to attend a class, visit their website.

This weekend I dyed over 40 skeins of yarn, here are a few of them hanging to dry...

I also listed a couple new gradients in the shop (a bit of a preview to skeins that you will see at the fiber festival)

"Legend" on Melody DK

"Capricorn" on Twinkle Toes Sock

Hope to see you there!

Tour de Fleece, Days 9-12: Fractal Spinning, singles, and rest day

For days 9 and 10 I fractal spun this beautiful superwash merino from Western Sky knits.

I also spun some superwash singles on day 10, Hallucinogenic Lipstick from Lylian Mae Fiber Arts, going to let these rest for a couple days and chain ply I think.

Day 11 was a "rest" day so I dyed some yarn, and worked on sewing project bags, just need to add drawstrings to these...

Day 12, today I spun some merino from Spun Right Round, this is a colorway called "Pixie", not the best picture of the colorway though as there is also a bit of teal-blue hiding in there...

Tour de Fleece day 8: Plying Polwarth

Day 8 of Tour de Fleece was a major plying day, 12 oz of polwarth singles all plied. Is it rest day yet?

Tour de Fleece: Day 7, Polwarth!

More polwarth singles today (top left bobbin is holding my leftovers from plying for making scrappy skeins)...

Tour de Fleece: Day 6 Polwarth singles and project bags

Day 6 of the 2012 Tour de Fleece and I spun about 6 os of polwarth singles from Woolgatherings (4 oz pictured) Somehow this fiber looks much more rainbowy in the singles than it did to me in the braid.

I also got six new project bags listed in the shop, a couple even have windows. Here's a little preview of some of the new prints.

Tour de Fleece: Days 4 & 5

Finished up the BFL singles and plied them, the colors blend beautifully as a two ply I think. It is a little odd though how different the colors look on the two bobbins even though they are both from the same set of singles...

Tour de Fleece: Day 3, BFL singles

For day 3 of the tour I spun 4 oz of BFL from Mosaic Moon in colorway "Rooster". I have one more braid of fiber in this colorway to spin tomorow...

Tour de Fleece: Day 2, Thick & Thin Singles and Plying

I wanted to give my day 1 singles a little time to rest on the bobbin before plying, so I started off day 2 of Tour de Fleece spinning some thick & thin singles from a batt from Hobbledehoy in colorway "Muse". Here are the resulting skeins (pre-washing).

Then later today I plied my singles from day 1. The colors on this are a bit difficult to capture since the yarn is so shiny (though it could be partly due to all the rain that we had today). Don't know the yardage yet, but I suspect it's pretty high since I spent longer plying today than I did spinning singles.

Tour de Fleece 2012

Are you spinning for the Tour de Fleece this year? Any big challenges that you want to meet?

My main goal this year is to do some stashbusting, and I'm hoping to get in at least 30 minutes of spinning every day, and hopefully spin at least two skeins of sock weight yarn. I have quite a few braids of yummy fiber waiting to be spun, so the only question is what fiber to spin next...

It's Day 1, and first on my list is this yummy superwash merino tencel blend from Spincerely in colorway "Riverside". I've had these two braids of fiber in my stash for awhile just waiting for the prefect time ro spin them. The colors look beautiful on the bobbin, I can't wait to see what the final yarn looks like. So far today I have about an ounce or so of it spun, hoping to get some more spinning time in later today.